HAY FEVER IN A CLOUD

Evening Star, Issue 21636, 3 February 1934, Page 19

HAY FEVER IN A CLOUD

The story of how a pilot and his observe! were set sneezing and weeping at a height of nearly 7,000 ft by pollen contained m a cumulus cloud is told by Flight-lieutenant R. G. Veryard, the meteorological officer attached to No. 1 Group, R.A.F., Peshawar, in a letter published in the December issue of the ‘ Meteorological Magazine. Ho writes; — , . “Recently, while flying over the Tochi Valley, in "Waziristan (with the object -of taking dry and wet bulb temperature readings in and near cumulus cloud), my pilot and I had a rather unpleasant but interesting experience. Wo entered a patch or cumulus, which was about 100 ft thick, at approximately 6,900 ft above the ground, the time being 10b 30min I.S.T. Immediately I noticed a smell of hay and felt a tickling sensation in my nose. My eyes began to water, and I sneezed frequently until we emerged from the cloud. On landing shortly afterwards I saw that mv pilot had also been affected. His eyes and nose were still in a lachrymose condition! He, too, stated, that ho could ‘smell’ the cloud. ■ , , ' ~ “ We had both observed that on tne hillside below the patch of cumulus there was a party of villagers busily winnowing, and there appears to be little doubt that fine particles of chaff and pollen had been lifted into the cloud by convection currents. «9 did not experience any bumpiness just below the cloud, but from 3,000 ft down to the ground the air was very turbulent.’ Ho goes on to explain that the temperalure readings up to 3,000 ft indicated tho likelihood of ascending currents, and he concludes:—“ I may add that I personally am subject to catarrh, but that my pilot had never experienced ‘ hay fever before.